The best Mets trade with the Rockies

There have not been very many trades between the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies. One of baseball’s youngest organizations, the first took place in 1995 when the Mets sent them Bret Saberhagen.

The two have made a few more deals, actually striking four total trades in 2002 alone. They’ve been relatively quiet since.

For the best trade the Mets have made, we need to go back to 1999. On July 31, they picked up the services of Darryl Hamilton and Chuck McElroy.

The best Mets trade with the Rockies was a sweet trade deadline deal

The whole trade included Tom Johnson, Rigo Beltran, and Brian McRae going to Colorado for Hamilton and McElroy. McRae had been brought to New York in a previous trade deadline deal with the Chicago Cubs. Ready to move on from him, the Mets picked up Hamilton for center field duties.

Hamilton had one of the best half seasons with the Mets in 1999. He batted .303/.374/.389 for the Rockies and somehow managed to get even better with the Mets.

Hamilton slashed .339/.410/.488 in 189 plate appearances. He added five home runs while giving the team a steady presence in the outfield.

McElroy was also a success for the Mets. In his 13.1 innings, he pitched to a 3.38 ERA. It wasn’t a lot but as a role player, he did his job.

McElroy was traded again in December for Jesse Orosco. Before pitching another game for the Mets, they dealt Orosco away for Joe McEwing. So, in a way, without McElroy, we never would have had Super Joe.

Honorable mention Mets trades with the Rockies

Because there are so few trades made between these clubs, it’s tough to have too many honorable mentions. The Rockies have gotten the better of the Mets many times.

In 2002, the Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers got involved with the Mets in a three-team deal. This was hardly an effective trade for the Mets. The best player they received was a broken down Jeromy Burnitz.

The trade deadline deal for Hamilton and McElroy remains an outlier among most of the trades the Mets and Rockies have made. Until another one happens, it will remain unchallenged as the best.